Life

Sisinnius was of Syrian birth, born about the year 650. His father was named John. Virtually nothing is known of his life before becoming the Pope of Rome. His election came after a vacancy of three months following the death of Pope John VII. He was consecrated on January 15, 708. He probably was not from the aristocracy as witnessed by the paucity of donations to the papacy during his short tenure as pope.[1]

At the time he became pope he was noted to suffer seriously with gout and to be unable to feed himself. However, he was said to have been a man of strong character. During his short papacy, Sisinnius consecrated a bishop for Corsica and ordered the burning of lime for use in restoring portions of the walls of Rome, work that was completed under a later successor Gregory II.[2]

Sisinnius reposed on February 4, 708. He was buried in the Old St. Peter's Basilica. He was succeeded about two months later by Pope Constantine. Constantine, also Syrian by birth, was probably his brother.[3]

References

↑Jeffrey Richards. 1979. The popes and the papacy in the early Middle Ages, 476–752. p. 245.